Fire-ladder



(No Mode-l.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. J. E. & E. UREN.

FIRE LADDER.

No. 585,064. Patented June 22,1897.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

J. B. & E. UREN.

(No Model.)

FIRE LADDER.

N0. 585,0 64. Patented June 22.1897.

mo NORRIS spective view of the end of one of the sections,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN EVERETT UREN AND EDWARD UREN, OF AUBURN, CALIFORNIA.

FIRE-LADDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 585,064, dated June 22,1897'.

Application filed October 12, 1896.

To all whom/it may concern.-

Be it known that we, J OHN EVERETT UREN and EDWARD UREN, citizens of theUnited States, and residents of Auburn, in the county of Placer andState of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Fire-Ladders; and we do hereby declare that the following is a full,clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable othersskilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part ofthis specification.

Our invention relates to extensible, sectional, and jointed fire-laddersadapted to be wound upon a reel when not in use, and which can bereadily extended up against a building by rotating the reel andunreeling the same therefrom.

The object of the invention is to provide an improved construction ofthe same which shall possess superior advantages with re spect toefficiency in operation.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination ofparts hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a side elevation showing atruck with our improvements applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a perspectiveview showing a portion of the truck and the reel thereon, the ladderbeing removed. Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the reel, showing theladder wound thereon. Fig. tis a view showing several sections of theladder. Fig. 5 is a detail side elevation, on agreatly-enlarged scale,showing the knuckle-joint connection between the sections of the ladder.Fig. 6 is a cross-section on the line 00 m, Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a detailpershowing the increase of thickness at the joint to strengthen thesame. Fig. 8 is an elevation showing the devices at the upper end of theladder to allow the same to pass a window-sill or other projection. Fig.9 is a detail perspective view of one of the rungs of the ladder and itssocket.

In the said drawings, the referencenumeral 1 designates a reelcomprising the circular heads 2, connected together by five transversebars 3. Said heads are provided with journals 4, which have theirbearings in stand- Serial No. 608,621. (No model.)

ards 5, secured to a rotatable base 6, journaled to the bed 7 of a truck8. This base is provided with a pivoted dog 9, adapted to engage with aslotted lug 10, secured to the truck-bed, so as to hold the base inposition. The peripheries of the heads of the reel are provided withhandles 12 for rotating the same.

The numeral 13 designates an extensible ladder consisting of a number ofsections 14, the inner one of which is secured to one of the cross-barsof the reel. These sections consist of angle-bars of aluminium, steel,or other metal and are convexed or thickened at each end to strengthenthe same. One of these ends is formed with an apertured lug 15 and ashoulder 16, while the other end is formed with two curved and aperturedlugs 17 and a similar shoulder 18. The lug 15 fits between the lugs 18of an adjoining section, and they are connected together by aheaded bolt19, passing through the apertures, and a thumb-screw 20, engaging athreaded aperture or hole in the bolt. The said sections, near one end,are formed with a slotted lug 21 and at the other end with aspring-catch 23, so constructed that when the sections are extended toform a ladder the catch of one section will engage with the slot in thelug of an adjoining section and thus hold the sections in their extendedposition. The catches are formed at their free ends with loops or hooks24, with which a suitable tool may engage for withdrawing them from theslots. lVhen the sections are extended, the knuckles or lugs will abutagainst each other, as seen in Fig. 5. Secured to said sections atsuitable points are sockets 25, provided with screwthreaded recesses 26,with which engage correspondingly-threaded rungs 27, which may consisteither of metal tubes or solid hardwood rods or bars.

The two upper sections of the ladder are formed with extensions 28,turned outwardly at an angle of about forty-six degrees, and to theupper ends are j ournaled wheels 29,ada'pted to ride over a sill orother projection on a building. Below this wheel and on the upper sidesof each extension is pivoted ahook 30, provided with a spring 33,adapted to engage with a sill or other projection and brace and hold theladder in place. Pivoted to said extensions, below the hooks, areswinging links 31, having journaled to their free ends small wheels 32,for the purpose of disengaging the hooks from the sill, as hereinafterdescribed. Lugs 34 on said extensions limit the movement of said links.

The operation is as follows: The ladder is wound upon the reel mountedon the truck, the sections overlapping each other, as seen in Fig. 3.The reel in the present instance is shown as having five cross-bars,making it, as itwere, five-sided, and therefore after five sections ofthe ladder are wound thereon the next succeeding five sections will haveto be somewhat longer, as seen in said Fig. 8. Vhen thus wound, theladder is ready for use. To use the ladder, the outer section is placedagainst the wall of a building with the small wheels 32 resting againstthe same. By now turning the wheel the ladder will be pushed up thewall, the catches and lugs of the sections engaging with each other whentwo adjoining sections come in line, so as to hold them in alinement. Asthe ladder is being pushed up the wall any sills 0r projections in the\vaythereof will be struck by thelarger wheels 20, which will ride overthe same, throwing the ladder outward, so as to allow it to pass. Thehooks 30 will engage with the sill or other projection and securely holdand brace the ladder in place, as seen in dotted lines at the top ofFig. 8.

To lower the ladder, it is raised a short distance, so that the smallwheels 32 will clear the sill and the hook be disengaged therefrom. Thesaid wheels will now pass over onto the sill. The ladder can now belowered, the links 31 swinging upward under the hooks so that saidwheels will bear against the wall of the building and throw the dog awaytherefrom.

It is obvious that the invention may be employed with advantagebybuilders, painters, and others, as well as for a fire-ladder.

Having thus fully described our invention, what we claim is 1. Thecombination with a fire-escape ladder having angular extensions at theupper end thereof, of the Wheels journaled to said extensions, thepivoted spring-actuated hooks, the swinging links, the small wheelsjournaled to said links, and the stop-shoulders, substantially asdescribed.

2. In an extensible and folding ladder, the combination with thesections pivotally connected together by knuckle-joints, of the angularextension at the upper end of the upper section, the wheels journalcdthereto, the pivoted spring-actuatedhooks, the swinging links and thesmall wheels journaled to said links, and the stop-shoulders;substantially as described.

3. The combination with the folding and extensible ladder comprising thesections pivotally connected together by knuckle-joints, the angularextension at the upper end of the upper section, the wheels journaledthereto, the pivoted spring-actuated hooks, the swin ging links, thesmall wheels journaled to said links and the stop-shoulders, of the reelto which the lower ends of said ladder are connected, the rotatable baseand the truck, substantially as described.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing as our own we have hereuntoai'fixed our signatures in presence of two Witnesses.

JOHN EVERETT UREN. ED\VARD UREN.

\Vitnesses:

.TEHU DAVIS PARK, HENRY LoBNnR.

